U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Laws and Issues - (Primary Documents in American History and Contemporary Issue) (Hardcover)

About the Book

The influx of millions of immigrants into the United States has profoundly impacted the nation's economy, culture, and politics. Since the founding of our country, our government has worked to control this migration by enacting different policies to deal with immigration and naturalization. Students can trace the history and development of issues surrounding these policies, as well as the reactions to them, through this unique and comprehensive collection of over 100 primary documents. Court cases, opinion pieces, and many other documents bring to life the controversies surrounding the subject of immigration. Explanatory introductions aid users in understanding each document and help to illuminate its significance to the reader.

The major laws on immigration and naturalization are included in this useful volume, and have been edited to include the principal provisions in each, thereby making them more accessible to students without compromising their quality and accuracy. These key primary documents are arranged chronologically to help the user discover what has and has not changed over the centuries. The introductory and explanatory texts help readers understand the issues being litigated, the social and cultural pressures that shaped each deate, and the ways in which biases of individual Justices and Presidents affected immigration and naturalization laws in this country.

Book Synopsis

The influx of millions of immigrants into the United States has profoundly impacted the nation's economy, culture, and politics. Since the founding of our country, our government has worked to control this migration by enacting different policies to deal with immigration and naturalization. Students can trace the history and development of issues surrounding these policies, as well as the reactions to them, through this unique and comprehensive collection of over 100 primary documents. Court cases, opinion pieces, and many other documents bring to life the controversies surrounding the subject of immigration. Explanatory introductions aid users in understanding each document and help to illuminate its significance to the reader.

The major laws on immigration and naturalization are included in this useful volume, and have been edited to include the principal provisions in each, thereby making them more accessible to students without compromising their quality and accuracy. These key primary documents are arranged chronologically to help the user discover what has and has not changed over the centuries. The introductory and explanatory texts help readers understand the issues being litigated, the social and cultural pressures that shaped each deate, and the ways in which biases of individual Justices and Presidents affected immigration and naturalization laws in this country.

Review Quotes

.,."an invaluable source for legal and immigration historians and any scholar interested in research related to immigration, naturalization, and citizenship. The volume contains carefully edited versions of virtually every immigration and naturalization law enacted by the American colonies and the United States federal government from the colonial period to the present....In short, U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Laws and Issues is an extraordinary documentary resource that immigration scholars will turn to again and again."-Journal of American Ethnic History

.,."indispensable for anyone who intends to research into either the history of the Untied States and those countries which drew on emigrant flows for their population growth and economic development, or the history of immigration policies in general."-Journal of European Economic History

?...an invaluable source for legal and immigration historians and any scholar interested in research related to immigration, naturalization, and citizenship. The volume contains carefully edited versions of virtually every immigration and naturalization law enacted by the American colonies and the United States federal government from the colonial period to the present....In short, U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Laws and Issues is an extraordinary documentary resource that immigration scholars will turn to again and again.?-Journal of American Ethnic History

?...indispensable for anyone who intends to research into either the history of the Untied States and those countries which drew on emigrant flows for their population growth and economic development, or the history of immigration policies in general.?-Journal of European Economic History

?A fine collection which covers the foundations of immigration laws and their applications. From court cases to opinion pieces, this provides thorough understanding of all the issues involved.?-The Midwest Book Review

?The convenience of having this sometimes difficult-to-find information in one volume, the ease of access to particular documents, and the helpful added features, particularly the introduction and period summaries, should make this book a welcome addition not only to school and academic libraries, but also to those public libraries having immigrant populations among their users.?-American Reference Books Annual

..."indispensable for anyone who intends to research into either the history of the Untied States and those countries which drew on emigrant flows for their population growth and economic development, or the history of immigration policies in general."-Journal of European Economic History

"A fine collection which covers the foundations of immigration laws and their applications. From court cases to opinion pieces, this provides thorough understanding of all the issues involved."-The Midwest Book Review

"The convenience of having this sometimes difficult-to-find information in one volume, the ease of access to particular documents, and the helpful added features, particularly the introduction and period summaries, should make this book a welcome addition not only to school and academic libraries, but also to those public libraries having immigrant populations among their users."-American Reference Books Annual

..."an invaluable source for legal and immigration historians and any scholar interested in research related to immigration, naturalization, and citizenship. The volume contains carefully edited versions of virtually every immigration and naturalization law enacted by the American colonies and the United States federal government from the colonial period to the present....In short, U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Laws and Issues is an extraordinary documentary resource that immigration scholars will turn to again and again."-Journal of American Ethnic History

About the Author

MICHAEL LEMAY is Professor, and chair of Environmental Science at California State University, San Bernardino. He specializes in immigration policy and is the author of many books including Anatomy of a Public Policy: The Reform of Contemporary American Immigration Law (Praeger, 1994), Now Picture This: Graphic Literacy in the Social Sciences, and The Gatekeepers: Comparative Immigration Policy (Praeger, 1989).

ELLIOTT ROBERT BARKIN is Professor of History and Ethnic Studies at California State University, San Bernardino. He is the author of many books, including Asian and Pacific Islander Migration to the United States: A Model of Global Patterns (1992) and A Nation of Peoples: A Sourcebook on America's Multicultural Heritage (1999), both published by Greenwood Press.